Tag: summer

Last weekend I went to Anglesey, which is an island in the North of Wales. I went for three days, and it was lovely. I always had it in my head that Anglesey was a much smaller place than it actually is. I don’t think a lot of people realise that it’s kinda big. Rich’s family own a cottage in Treaddur Bay, right near the beach, and it’s so beautiful. The above picture is a sunset taken on the beach there. We drove down from Manchester on Thursday night after work. We were expecting it to take around two and a half hours, but it actually only took about one and a half, which was pretty good going.

On our first day, we went up to Chemlyn bay which is on the north of the island. It’s absolutely breathtaking. There’s pebbled beaches, blue sea, and it feels like there’s nothing for miles around. We spent hours just wandering on the beach, taking pictures of the views, and just enjoying being somewhere so relaxing.

On the second day, we went to Beaumaris, which on the east of the island, right near the Menai bridge. It was such a lovely little town. We spent a few hours going round the little independent shops. Rich bought me a gorgeous handbag for Christmas (I know it’s a while off but you can never start too early), and we also visited lots of galleries, a Chilli shop, and shops full of trinkets. After a few hours of shopping, we went to an amazing fish and chip shop and had a walk down the pier, and walked along the sea front which had views of the Snowdonia national park.

On the last day we were there, we went to Newborough which is on the south of the island. If you’ve ever been to Formby Beach in Merseyside, it’s quite similar to that. There’s a massive pine forest which borders the beach, and there’s also an island called Llanddwyn Island which is stunning. It has a little lighthouse, a ruined church and lots of little coves. I wish it had been slightly sunnier on the day we went as it would have been perfect for a picnic. It’s quite a walk so you need to take your walking shoes, but it’s definitely worth it.

It was a fabulous weekend, and I can’t wait to visit again. If you need somewhere relaxing to charge your batteries, then definitely check out Anglesey, as it’s full of hidden gems! How many of you have been to Anglesey before?

Ahh, I’m absolutely loving the heatwave that seems to be hitting the UK this week. I just want to stretch out on a sunlounger, sip on something icy and cold, and read a massive pile of books (they should probably be the ones that I need to read for my dissertation!). Unfortunately I have to work, and on my days off I have silly bits and pieces to do, like make doctors appointments and do bits of shopping. That aside, I will still be dreaming about days on sandy beaches, relaxing with not a care in the world, and that inspired today’s short but sweet post, all about the places and countries around the world that I’d love to visit, especially as today is my one year anniversary on WordPress! Previously, I’ve been to France, Belgium and Italy, and I’m heading to Croatia in September. I’d love to travel more, but I’m definitely not the kind of person who’d enjoy living out of my rucksack and sleeping in hostels. I’m definitely the type of person who likes to spend a long time in one place, relaxing and sightseeing as I go rather than frantically globetrotting.

Quintessential beauty amid the azure skies, streaked with the bubbles of joy that frequent this time of year. Her lemonade laugh fizzes as it overflows, trickling wildly, naturally. A mellow whisper is soaked up by the others as the honeybee buzzes through the haze. She breezes through the meadow, her giggles mingling with the air that’s heavy with the sighs of the dragonflies that meander gently through the green sea that seems to foam at her feet.

This bank holiday weekend was everything that it should have been. For once, the weather stayed lovely and warm the entire time, I got to spend it with my favourite people in the world, and a lot of tasty food and drink was consumed. All in all, very successful.

On Saturday I spent the morning doing the usual household chores/shopping, and then in the afternoon made a new discovery in my local area. For ages, we hadn’t realised that there was any where near to us that was ideal for a bit of a walk that we didn’t have to drive too far to, until I did a bit of a trip adviser search of where I live, and found Sale Water Park.

I was surprised by where it was, as it’s just off the motorway, yet from looking at the above picture, you wouldn’t think so!

It’s close to the River Mersey too, and it was lovely to stroll along in the warm weather.

On Saturday evening I went to the cinema with Rich to see the new Xmen movie. I wasn’t looking forward to it as romantic comedies are more up my street, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I really liked it in the end! Maybe I’ll have to go watch the rest of them…

On Sunday, we decided to go for a drive to Buxton. We’d heard it was a lovely place to visit, and we fancied a drive to somewhere new. Buxton’s in the middle of the Peak district, and on a sunny day you get some gorgeous views as you drive through the hills.

When we got to Buxton, we went for a wander up the high street, and I topped up my book collection with two new Sophie Kinsella purchases. She’s my favourite author, and I find her books are perfect for reading on a summer’s day. After finding it a bit too warm to be walking around shops all afternoon, we went to get a coffee (iced of course!) and went to sunbathe in the Pavillion gardens.

On Monday, we went over to my mum’s house for a afternoon of burgers whilst sitting in the garden, which was the perfect way to round off the weekend.

How was your weekend? Did you make the most of three days in the sunshine? 🙂

Here in the UK, it’s bank holiday weekend, meaning a three day weekend which is fabulous. Therefore, I thought I’d share some ideas with you all on things you could do this weekend to make the most of it. Some of these things may cost money, but some of them don’t; I wanted to try and include a mixture so that there’s something for everyone! In Manchester, it’s supposed to be quite warm, so I think I’m gonna head off into the Peak District for a bit of a hike one day, probably visit my family, and then spend a day generally relaxing and doing bits of shopping etc before the week starts again.

Go to a national park, go to the gym, go for a run in nature, go to a car boot sale, try visiting a restaurant you’ve never been to before, check out a community event in your local area, visit a theme park, relax in your garden, go rollerskating, go swimming, visit a museum, visit an art gallery, visit the zoo or a wildlife park, have a film day, go to the cinema, read a book, have a home spa day, go charity shop shopping, make homemade pizzas, host a cheese and wine evening, host a dinner party, throw a house party, go for a picnic, watch something random on Netflix, go to a laser quest, go bowling, go to a bar, go out dancing, have a cocktail making night, spend a day playing board games, visit family for Sunday dinner, watch the sun go down, try sketching, go to the nearest beach, organise your wardrobe, volunteer somewhere local, go for a bike ride, hop on a train to somewhere you’ve never been before, go on a road trip, build mini bonfire in your garden and toast marshmallows, spend a whole day in your PJ’s eating icecream, go to a local farmers market, bake a cake, visit a library, go to to the theatre, watch a live band, try gardening, go mini golfing, try iceskating, visit an aquarium, watch a sports match.

There’s a lot of things that I’d love to do in my life, and I like to think that one day (fingers crossed) I’ll complete them all. This list is far from complete, as I know I’ll add more as I grow older and want different things out of life.

Own a car, live abroad, own a pet, buy every book that I want, sky dive in a beautiful country, write a novel, get into photography, go to a drive-in movie, go to an opera, buy my own house, go on holiday alone, go to an all night beach party, cut a fringe into my hair, go for a spa weekend, build a successful career, sit front row at a fashion show, fly in first class, attend a foodie festival, travel around America, drive down the California coast, stay in a five start resort, visit a vineyard to go wine tasting, cook a Sunday dinner, go for afternoon tea, go out for a meal and have three courses of dessert, visit Santorini and see the world’s most beautiful sunset, run my own book club, complete with coffee and cake mornings, do a charity run, learn a new language, learn to play the piano, attend the gym every week day, try a yoga class, learn to iceskate, spend Christmas in Australia, see the Northern Lights, get married, swim with dolphins, learn to surf, watch the sun rise over the sea, climb a mountain, create my own recipe, learn more about astronomy, watch a Broadway show, run out of pages in my passport, experience Christmas in New York, live near the beach, learn to horseride, have dinner on a rooftop terrace in Paris.

Hi guys, sorry it’s been so long since I last posted, I’m currently studying towards my second year uni exams so it’s been really hectic at the moment! As the weather is (supposedly!) getting a bit warmer, I thought it’d be good to share the must have items of clothing that you need to make your spring wardrobe complete. If you have any other suggestions then feel free to let me know in the comments below 🙂

The Trench Coat:

Trench coats are always described as the spring fashion essential, and the reason for this is that they’re very versatile, easy to wear, and they can make your outfit look really put together whilst somehow managing to be smart and casual at the same time. I’ve never owned one before this year, but since I bought mine, I’ve been wearing it none stop, and know it will be something I’ll be wearing year after year. The picture below is similar to the one I own, and I found mine in Primark for £25 which I thought was really reasonable! It also seems to be of really good quality, and fits really well.

2. Loafers

Loafers are really trendy and stylish and again are a wardrobe that manages to make your outfit look really put together. They’re also super comfy, and look great with both jeans and dresses, and they’re a nice alternative to the traditional ballet flats. The pictures below are of the ones I bought from Dorothy Perkins; I paid £18, and got them in both the black and the brown.

3. Light blue jeans

Most people own a pair of jeans, and the best for this time of year are in lighter shades of blue, as they look casual, and just make you feel a bit more colourful than a classic pair of black or navy. I got my pair of light blue jeans from New Look, as they do great jeans for curvier girls, and I got them in the high waisted fit. They were only £19.99 as well, which I think’s a bargain for a well fitting pair of jeans!

4. Light blouses

Light blouses are another spring classic, as they can be worn both casually and formally, and they’re great either underneath a jacket or on their own when the sun eventually comes out! They can be work either with jeans or skirts. I’m an avid blouse wearer as I think they’re lovely and feminine, and I recently purchased this lovely one from New Look in the sale for £14.50, and it’s light and airy with lace panelling.

5. Spring dress

The spring dress is a dress that can be worn both with and without tights. My favourite place to go and buy dresses is H and M, as they always have a lot of choice, and they’re always good quality. I decided to purchase this lovely cream lace dress below, which was £19.99. It has cutout panelling around the waist, and is just really gorgeous and floaty. On colder days, I think it would look really cute underneath a trench coat or denim jacket.

6. Denim Jacket

Denim jackets go with everything and are perfect for the transition into spring and onto the summer. I spent ages trying to find one that fitted me perfectly, as I was keen to avoid the oversized 80’s style ones, and wanted one that was close fitting. I eventually found the perfect one in Dorothy Perkins, which I paid around £30 for. It’s light blue with patches of fading, and it’s slightly cropped. It goes really nicely with spring style dresses.